5 reasons kids may not ask for help when being bullied

Some say telling adults about bullying does nothing.

PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center offers these common reasons kids might not tell parents or other adults they are being bullied:

? 1. They may think that they are tattling on another student, and they have been taught not to tattle. It is important that children learn the difference between tattling about unimportant things and telling an adult when bullying is taking place.

? 2. Children may fear retaliation if they tell an adult they are being bullied. While the adult may address the issue with the child doing the bullying, there is going to be another time right around the corner when the adult is not around. Children may fear that things could get worse if the issue is addressed.

? 3. Some children feel that they will not be believed. They believe that they will tell an adult and the person will not believe them or will suggest that maybe they did something to bring it on.

? 4. Many children believe that telling an adult does nothing to help with the bullying. The research tends to support the notion that many adults don't do anything about the bullying, or they simply brush it off, tell them to toughen up, or say that it is just a part of growing up. If children learn early on that adults don't help, then they are not likely to report the incidents.

? 5. When children are bullied, they may feel ashamed or embarrassed. This alone can keep them from reporting it, because they don't want people to know that they were being bullied.

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5 reasons kids may not ask for help when being bullied

It is estimated that an average of 160,000 students each day across the country stay home out of fear of being bullied. Yet many adults, for a variety of reasons, have no idea that the bullying is